Cooking stuffing in a bird, such as a turkey, can be unsafe due to potential salmonella contamination, as juices from the bird tend to soak into the stuffing. To be considered safe to eat, the stuffing should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165° F. The time it takes for the center of the stuffing to reach this temperature typically results in over cooking the bird itself. Usually, however, the bird is cooked until it is done rather than when the stuffing reaches 165° F. Even with the knowledge that stuffing may not be fully cooked, many people still prefer cooking stuffing in a bird.
With no device available for simulating cooking stuffing in a bird, those who prefer stuffing cooked in a bird have no real alternative to prepare such a stuffing, unless they are cooking a bird. Traditional stove top stuffing is one way, but it does not compare in taste, consistency, or moisture of stuffing cooked in a bird, and it is often “loose” stuffing rather than the typical “log” stuffing that is achieved in a bird, which can be removed in sections and then sliced.
For large gatherings, such as Thanksgiving dinner, many people's favorite part of the dinner is stuffing, but usually there is not enough stuffing cooked in a traditional turkey due to the size restrictions of the bird's cavity. Cooking an additional turkey in order to get the desired amount of stuffing is not practical or cost-effective and results in having an excessive amount of poultry. Until now, there has not been a satisfactory way to simulate cooking stuffing in a bird, and thus, in-the-bird stuffing lovers have had no other option. There exists a need, therefore, for a device and method to prepare stuffing without a bird that simulates stuffing cooked in a bird that is as good as, or even better, than cooked-in-a-bird stuffing.